Council Tax: Blackburn and Burnley Owed Over £28 Million

Two towns have about 20,000 households behind on council tax. Sell House Fast got data from both councils using a Freedom of Information request. Vicky McGurk, in charge of finance in Blackburn, says tax money owed is still a debt, and the council can collect it over time.

Blackburn with Darwen has £11.6 million uncollected. The pandemic and cost of living make it hard to get funds. McGurk says uncollected tax is not lost, and the council keeps trying to collect what people owe, understanding people have tough financial situations.

The council expects they will not collect all taxes due, using a “collection rate,” usually 96%. Blackburn with Darwen collected 97% recently and hopes to collect even more this year. You can pay council tax monthly there, with payment options available over 12 months too.

McGurk says they collect debt regardless of the year, and their collection rate rose to 97%. They might cancel debts hard to collect, but if they learn new info, the debt returns, and they start collecting that debt again.

They can issue charging orders or attach earnings. Bailiffs become involved only as a last resort. More councils use bailiffs now nationwide, with referrals rising 21% to 1.3 million cases in 2023/24. The North West saw a smaller rise, just 7%. Burnley Council did not comment.